I DISLIKE reshuffles for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I think it is better that ministers stay in their briefs for as long as possible so that they master them.

Secondly, reshuffles only ever add to the sum of human misery: those who are promoted often feel they merited it, or even deserved better and sooner; those demoted are gutted; and any number of colleagues who were passed over are deeply disappointed.

Thirdly, I am the accommodation whip, so I have to find rooms in the Commons for new ministers and for exministers.

I don’t have a stock of empty rooms: I have to move ex-ministers into the rooms vacated by those lucky enough to have replaced them and vice versa.

Unfortunately those leaving ministerial office are quite senior and have high expectations, while those appointed to replace them are relatively junior and don’t have very nice offices to offer up. This merely compounds the misery.

It gets worse: when ministers find their way to their new offices and discover that they are pokey, dark and without a mobile phone signal, it takes some of the shine off their appointment.

Anyway, I made some modest progress in the hierarchy of the Government Whips’ Office in last week’s reshuffle: I have been appointed deputy chamberlain of the Household; and I have a number of royal duties to perform, including writing to the Queen every sitting parliamentary day to brief her as to what has taken place. So far, I have had no difficulty in keeping it interesting- but then, I can only speak for myself.

I had the privilege last week of presenting certificates to young adults who had completed the National Citizens’ Service during the summer. People have been writing to me for years demanding the return of National Service, well we did it – although it is quite different from the original model.

The reality is that our professional armed forces are no longer configured to return to those days and they would see it as a very significant distraction from their main effort.

The programme of the new citizens’ service involves a number of elements including a residential week with challenging physical activity and a joint enterprise that delivers a benefit to the community.

One of the things that is very different is that it is voluntary. I recall that, when we were running the pilots and discussing the shape and scope of the service back in 2006 when in opposition, we planned on it being compulsory, but we weren’t facing a financial crisis back then and we couldn’t possibly afford to make everybody do it right now.

General Sir Michael Jackson, who had at the time recently retired as Chief of the General Staff, insisted is shouldn’t be compulsory, but instead aimed at making it universal. He explained the difference: by making it so good, it would become universal, because nobody would want to miss out on it. Judging by the enthusiasm and achievement I have seen from the young people who have done it, I think we are well on our way there.